Novus Compositus
by Umbrella-ella
Summary: Each moment is a brilliant memory, tucked away in a box beneath a bed. These are those moments, each of them small glimpses into short lives, and each of them important. Primarily Thommy-centric.
1. Missed You

_A/N: First time writing anything Thommy, so I hope it's decent. Flirty Thommy for _**msjoshepinemarch **over on tumblr.

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><p>Jimmy was glad Thomas was back. He would never admit it to anyone but himself, and even then only in the privacy of his room, but he had missed the under butler greatly. And so, when he spotted Thomas trudging down the men's quarters hallway the morning after his Lordship had returned, Jimmy's heart soared with a peculiar gladness.<p>

Thomas spotted him and smiled, accommodating his stride to allow Jimmy to catch up to him and walk beside him.

"Good morning, Jimmy. How are you?"

Jimmy glanced up at the older man, tilting his chin ever slightly; he'd forgotten how tall Thomas was.

"M'fine." Jimmy had never been a morning person, and it certainly showed, regardless of how he felt about seeing his fellow worker back on English soil.

"How was America?" The instant he asked, Jimmy felt odd, as if perhaps he had overstepped. What if Thomas didn't want to say? Surely it was rude for Jimmy to have assumed Thomas would want to tell someone about his trip.

"Fine, thank you very much. It was— enlightening, to say the least. Anything new here? Anna seems much more herself." Thomas noted, a small smile curving his pale lips as they kept in time with one another, their steps in sync as they made their way down the empty staircase to the servant's hall.

"It was alright. Nothing really happened. Bit boring, actually. Did you go to many clubs?" Jimmy was curious. The most he'd heard of America had been through Thomas' letters and he'd only seen a little of New York City in the pictures.

"No, not really. It was a quiet journey, really, peaceful."

A beat of silence followed, and Jimmy took a breath.

"I missed you— I mean, I—" Jimmy stuttered, looking away as his cheeks burned.

Thomas smiled widely this time, his neck flushing slightly at the comment.

As they neared the landing to the servant's hall, they stopped, Thomas still red and Jimmy still flustered. Pale fingers reached out to brush Jimmy's arm, but stopped as Baxter passed by, the din of scraping chairs in the hall nearly drowning Thomas' next words.

"I missed you, too, Jimmy."

And then Thomas was gone, slipping into his chair at the long table and leaving behind a very shocked Jimmy.


	2. Cake and Other Delicacies

_A/N: Based on a prompt from someone on tumblr, this was my first shot at writing modern Thommy._

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><p>Jimmy looked at the burnt mess sitting in the cake tin, a scowl darkening his face. The cake was burnt beyond recognition, and Anna and her boyfriend would be here in half an hour. Heaving a sigh, Jimmy cursed under his breath as he tossed the cake in the rubbish bin, watching forlornly as it made the short journey to bottom.<p>

"Fuckin' piece of shit." Jimmy glowered at the oven in the corner as if that would help his predicament, as if another perfect cake would pop out in a half an hour. It wouldn't— it'd taken him a good fifteen minutes just to get the ingredients mixed in the right order and another twenty to bake it, not to mention they were out of eggs. Running his hands through his hair, Jimmy growled in frustration as he heard the front door slam.

"Jimmy? I'm not late, am I?" Thomas' voice rang through the flat, and within moments, the man himself appeared at the entrance to the kitchen, his dark hair unkempt and his briefcase still in his hand, his bookbag slung over his shoulder.

Jimmy sighed, "No, you're not. The cake burned. I dunno why I tried, I'm no good at baking."

"How long do we have? Maybe we could try making another one?"

Jimmy shook his head. "There's no time. I just wanted to make a good impression!"

Jimmy leaned into Thomas' chest, inhaling the smell of ink and paper and leather, comforted by the feeling of his boyfriend's palm sliding up and down his back.

Pulling away, Jimmy shook his head. "Doesn't matter. We can figure something out. Maybe go to the shop on the corner or something. The frosting's fine, but we just need a cake." Lean legs crossed the kitchen in less than four steps, and a long finger dipped into the bowl of sugary glaze.

"Looks good, but…" Thomas popped his forefinger into his mouth, tasting the sweetness and Jimmy felt his stomach swoop, his throat suddenly dry. Thomas' brow furrowed in concentration and Jimmy swallowed nervously.

"Y-Yes?"

"Needs more sugar." Jimmy's heart thundered in his chest as he moved to the counter to stand next to the dark-haired man.

"Does it? Are you sure? Here," Jimmy dipped his forefinger in the frosting, holding it out to Thomas. "Try again, then tell me what you think."

Thin lips curled up in a smile, and Thomas swept his tongue across the proffered digit. Jimmy looked up, his throat tightening.

"So?"

"Perfect."

Half an hour later, Anna burst into the kitchen, stopping short when she saw her little brother and his boyfriend thoroughly disheveled and indecent, her eyes widening and her cheeks flushing.

"I suppose John and I can wait in the living room until you… finish getting dinner ready."

First impressions indeed.

Embarrassed, Jimmy dropped his head to the crook of Thomas' neck, trying hard to ignore his boyfriend's fit of laughter.


	3. Bonding Is Hard To Do

_A/N: Bonding isn't always fun, and it's even worse when you're cranky. Bates and Thomas bond over missing loved ones. _

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><p>Bates rapped his fingers on the window sill impatiently, watching as the snow fell. The train would be delayed until the morning, and it did not bode well for John Bates' mood. He could see her now, a simple dress flattering her petite figure, her eyes glowing with mirth at some joke he told— but he wasn't there with her. He was stuck in London because the snow had become too much for the trains to manage. The hotels were full in the city, the giant snowstorm having shut down all modes of transport to the north. Sighing, John glared one last time at the falling snow and turned from the window, eager to get through at least another three chapters in his book before he turned in for the night.<p>

A solid knock jolted John out of his concentration and he called out, "Come in." Thomas appeared in the doorway of the servant's hall, and with a nod, Thomas dropped into the seat across from him, the wooden chair grating against the stone floor jarringly. Mr. Mosley had fallen ill, and since no one else was qualified to take on his duties, it was decided that both Bates and Thomas would accompany Mr. Matthew and his Lordship to London for a weekend of legal paperwork.

"Pity, this stuff," Thomas' silky voice cut through the air, and John offered up a hum of acknowledgement as Thomas gestured to the bleak weather.

"It is. We'll be missing the Ball tonight." John observed, tearing his attention from the passage he was on to watch as Thomas lit a cigarette, smoke curling from his lips, reminding Bates of a dragon in a child's tale.

"I suppose you will, Mr. Bates. And Mrs. Bates? Will she be attending?"

John smiled wryly up at him from his teacup. "I doubt it. I'm sure Lady Mary has demanded rest. Shame, really, Anna enjoys dancing."

Thomas grinned at that. It was known to everyone that Lady Mary had taken a keen interest in Anna's pregnancy.

"Are you missing the music? And Jimmy?" It was not widely known outside of a very few people about Thomas' preference, but in the end, John Bates did not particularly care either way. After all that he and Anna had been through, it was mutually decided to put the old rivalry between Thomas and John to rest.

"Maybe, but then, I wouldn't discuss my personal feelings on the issue with you, regardless of what agreement we've come to." Thomas cast a glance at John, smoke hanging in the air as he started pointedly at his fellow servant. No one knew about Jimmy and Thomas, and both men were eager to keep it quiet.

"Touché," John replied, and with less tact than he was capable of, John changed the subject, "I'm sure the weather will be alright tomorrow, at least good enough to get home."

"I hope so, Mr. Bates, I do hope so. The idea of Downton running without us, it's enough to make me shiver."

Thomas grinned crookedly, and with that, the two fell into a comfortable silence, each hoping that the snow would stop before the night was out, and each eager to return to the arms of their loved ones.


	4. Jimmy Kent To the Rescue I

_A/N: Prompt- "Ever since Jimmy and Anna danced I've wanted to see them interact more. I have this headcanon that she reminds him a bit of his mum so he has a huge soft spot for her (even though he'd never admit it, the little shit). So! Maybe something highlighting their relationship? He can get advice from her or something! I just need Jimmy and Anna interacting! (I know this isn't really Thommy but you can throw that in too of course!)" Sort of backwards from what you asked, but… here goes… Series four compliant. _

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><p>The servant's hall was decidedly quiet— no one would be there, Jimmy thought, he could smoke in peace. And so, as Alfred busied himself with cooking in the kitchen and the hall boys scuttled around, trying to keep up with Mr. Carson's orders, Jimmy slipped away, eager to catch some peace and quiet. As he rounded the corner, he stopped, unsure whether or not the single occupant would welcome his interruption.<p>

Mrs. Bates seemed to sense him almost immediately, even as he began to turn away. Jimmy saw her shoulders tense, then soften as she saw who it was. The change was so quick, so minute that someone less aware might not have seen it. But Jimmy had spent his life studying people, it was his job, and that was _not _the response he'd have expected from someone so cheerful as Anna Bates. Now that he thought on it, she'd been tense for weeks, hardly speaking, lowering her eyes as if she expected some punishment when Mr. Carson shouted a little too loud. Jimmy's stomach turned. He'd never been close with the ladies maid, but he'd formed a friendship of sorts with her since the two of them had shared an amiable dance at the tea dance. Her smile was kind, and she treated him with compassion that he had not received since his mother had died before the war. It warmed him to think that maybe Anna had been blessed with the same gift of kindness that he saw in his mother, and it bereaved him to think that somehow, her spark had gone out.

Offering a slight smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, Anna beckoned him over, saying, "I've just finished Lady Mary's mending. I'll leave you to it."

Jimmy was oddly unsettled as he watched her gather her things; her hands shook nervously, and her eyes did not meet his as he slumped into his usual seat.

"Anna…" In the house, it was frowned upon by Mr. Carson to do away with formal titles, but Jimmy was concerned and titles didn't matter with your friends.

"Are you alright? Only you've been off these past few weeks an' I can't help but notice. Everyone has." Anna's body tensed, stiffening like a great tree in the middle of a storm, looking rather like she might snap any second. Her small figure was silhouetted against the frame, frail and childlike, and Jimmy thought she looked rather defeated.

"Have they?" Her voice was strained, high, nervous even.

"We're worried about you— all of us. Even Mr. Barrow's been asking after you in his letters." Jimmy took a long drag of his cigarette, puffing a cloud of smoke as he waited for her answer.

For a moment, Anna looked as though she was gathering her strength. She turned slowly, and it seemed as though a decade had passed before she faced him. He could see her more clearly now. Gone was the happy light with which she faced the long days at Downton, instead replaced by a world-weary sort of look that aged her beyond her years. Her mouth opened slightly, and he watched her carefully, afraid if he blinked she would evaporate into nothing. Her mouth snapped shut and all hope he had of getting a sincere answer was suddenly gone.

"I assure you, there's no need to worry. I'm fine, thank you, and perhaps you'll tell Mr. Barrow that he should keep to his own business." With that, she left, her steps rapid against the hard wooden floors, and then with a practiced pattern as she went upstairs.

Jimmy frowned as he mulled through his mind, flicking the ash into the ashtray as he puzzled about his friend.

He wondered if anyone knew why Anna was acting this way. He had never known her to be like this, and it unsettled him greatly.

Perhaps he would ask Mrs. Hughes to keep an eye on her, just in case. And then he might have a word with Mr. Bates.


End file.
